TV News: Sacrifice on Channel 5

Scheduled at 10pm on Sunday night on Channel 5 is the film version of Sharon (SJ) Bolton's Sacrifice.

Here is the blurb from IMDB:

Sacrifice is the story of consultant surgeon, Tora Hamilton, who moves with her husband, Duncan, to the remote Shetland Islands, 100 miles off the north-east coast of Scotland. Deep in the peat soil around her new home, Tora discovers the body of a young woman with rune marks carved into her skin and a gaping hole where her heart once beat. Ignoring warnings to leave well alone, Tora uncovers terrifying links to a legend that might never have been confined to the pages of the story-books.

The cast includes Radha Mitchell (as Tora) and Rupert Graves (as Duncan).

Review: Sacrifice by Will Jordan

Sacrifice by Will Jordan, August 2013, 512 pages, Arrow, ISBN: 0099574470

Reviewed by Amanda Gillies.
(Read more of Amanda's reviews for Euro Crime here.)

SACRIFICE is the second novel by Will Jordan, and also the second in his Ryan Drake series. Jordan's original plan was to become an actor and his casting as a soldier in a film about World War II led him to doing extensive research about weapons and military history. His depth of knowledge is very evident in his books and this, along with his gripping plots and likeable characters, makes him the first rate author that he is.

In this instalment, Drake, a British CIA agent, and his shepherd team are sent to Afghanistan, in search of a senior CIA operative who has been shot down and taken hostage by insurgents. Their search takes Drake to places and situations where he is clearly not wanted and it is not long before snipers are taking pot shots at him as well. His skill in the field keeps him alive and ahead of the game but, when he is betrayed and set up by someone he thought he could trust, Drake finds himself on the run from the 'good guys' as well. As if that isn't bad enough, lurking in the shadows is a mysterious woman, with her own scores to settle, and it isn’t long before their paths cross and Drake’s past catches up with him.

Will Jordan writes in a way that catches your attention right from the start. You are grabbed by the eyeballs and taken on a whirlwind journey through the pages of his book, then dumped, exhausted, at the other side. I love the way he sucks you into the story. You become involved in it and are there with him, crouching behind a tree to remain hidden from the terrorists, or wincing with pain from a gunshot wound to your side.

I am delighted that there is more to come with Ryan Drake. He is an interesting, no-nonsense character and I am looking forward to getting to know him better!

Highly recommended.

Amanda Gillies, September 2013.

Review: Sacrifice by S J Bolton (audio book)

Sacrifice by S J Bolton, read by Vivien Heilbron (Chivers Audio Book, Jan 2009, ISBN: 9781405647809, 12 CDs)

Obstetrician Tora Hamilton moves with her husband Duncan to his birth-place of Shetland, both starting new jobs. She takes her beloved horses with her but unfortunately one dies, and it is when she is burying him (illegally) in her garden that she discovers the body of a young woman, wrapped in linen.

The main police officer in charge, tries to play down the find and does not seem to be treating it seriously even when the post mortem reveals extensive mutilation of the body, including the carving of Viking runes on the body. The crucial point for Tora is that the woman had given birth days before her death.

Tora is not happy about the situation and uses her position at the hospital to try and trace the woman even though she is warned off by both colleagues and family. Her only ally is DS Dana Tulloch with whom she has a prickly relationship.

Tora diggers herself deeper into trouble and as she does so, Sacrifice becomes a full-blown thriller with near death experiences, chase sequences and going it alone into enemy territory.

Though it took me a few disks to get into Sacrifice, by the fourth one I was engrossed. It is peopled by several strong female characters, whom you can root for, as they try to get to the bottom of seemingly impossible crimes. The setting of the Shetland Islands is well utilised and brought to life. I found the plot, though based on local legends, slightly outlandish, but if you can suspend disbelief then you're in for an exciting ride. My only slight quibble is that the ending is perhaps a bit happier than you would expect given what's gone before.

Scottish actress Vivien Heilbron provides a splendid narration, her clipped English accent matching well with Tora's no-nonsense approach. (Incidentally, she is married to one of my favourite narrators, David Rintoul).